Pre-eclampsia is a syndrome of hypertension, edema, and proteinuria that affects 5 to 10% of pregnancies and results in substantial maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Pre-eclampsia accounts for at least 200,000 maternal deaths worldwide per year. The symptoms of pre-eclampsia typically appear after the 20th week of pregnancy and are usually detected by routine monitoring of the woman's blood pressure and urine. However, these monitoring methods are ineffective for diagnosis of the syndrome at an early stage, which could reduce the risk to the subject or developing fetus, if an effective treatment were available.
Currently there are no known cures for pre-eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia can vary in severity from mild to life threatening. A mild form of pre-eclampsia can be treated with bed rest and frequent monitoring. For moderate to severe cases, hospitalization is recommended and blood pressure medication or anticonvulsant medications to prevent seizures are prescribed. If the condition becomes life threatening to the mother or the baby the pregnancy is terminated and the baby is delivered pre-term.
The proper development of the fetus and the placenta is mediated by several growth factors. One of these growth factors is vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). VEGF is an endothelial cell-specific mitogen, an angiogenic inducer, and a mediator of vascular permeability. VEGF has also been shown to be important for glomerular capillary repair. VEGF binds as a homodimer to one of two homologous membrane-spanning tyrosine kinase receptors, the fms-like tyrosine kinase (Flt-1) and the kinase domain receptor (KDR), which are differentially expressed in endothelial cells obtained from many different tissues. Flt-1, but not KDR, is highly expressed by trophoblast cells which contribute to placental formation. Placental growth factor (PlGF) is a VEGF family member that is also involved in placental development. PlGF is expressed by cytotrophoblasts and syncytiotrophoblasts and is capable of inducing proliferation, migration, and activation of endothelial cells. PlGF binds as a homodimer to the Flt-1 receptor, but not the KDR receptor. Both PlGF and VEGF contribute to the mitogenic activity and angiogenesis that are critical for the developing placenta.
A soluble form of the Flt-1 receptor (sFlt-1) was recently identified in a cultured medium of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and in vivo expression was subsequently demonstrated in placental tissue. sFlt-1 is a splice variant of the Flt-1 receptor which lacks the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains. sFlt-1 binds to VEGF with a high affinity but does not stimulate mitogenesis of endothelial cells. sFlt-1 is believed to act as a “physiologic sink” to down-regulate VEGF signaling pathways. Regulation of sFlt-1 levels therefore works to modulate VEGF and VEGF signaling pathways. Careful regulation of VEGF and PlGF signaling pathways is critical for maintaining appropriate proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis by trophoblast cells in the developing placenta. There is a need for methods of accurately diagnosing subjects at risk for or having pre-eclampsia, particularly before the onset of the most severe symptoms. A treatment is also needed.